Jeweler&#39;s crucible.



w. H. Fono. JEWELERS CBUCIBLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6. |913.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

W IW WILLIAM I-I. FORD, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, 'ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK HANCHETT, 0F LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

JEWELERS CRUCIIBLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

vPatented Dec. 12, 1916.

Application led .Tune 6, 1913. Serial No. 772,091.

To all whom it may Concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. FORD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Lowell, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Jewelers Crucibles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a jewelers crucible, and its object is to improve and perfect devices of this class.

Such Crucibles have usually been formed of two parts, a lower part and an upper part of suitable refractory material, in which gold and the like may be melted and from which such molten material may be poured into molds for casting rings and other molded articles. It will, of course, be appreciated, that in using such valuable metal as gold, silver and like precious metals, it is of the greatest importance to conserve such material and to prevent the same being lost or wasted. Such crucibles, however, are of course very apt to become broken, cracked or otherwise damaged, so that the molten material is lost and wasted, and various efforts have been made to prevent such loss or waste by strengthening, reinforcing or by passing a wire or wires around the Crucible itself, so that should it become cracked, it will not fall to pieces. However, these prior efforts have been unsatisfactory, as the molten gold or the like would follow through a crack and become lost.

My present invention contemplates the provision of means which will prevent any possible loss or waste of the molten metal in a jewelers Crucible of the type described, and which will also strengthen and reinforce the Crucible itself, so that it is not apt to become damaged or broken. To this end I provide a metallic Cup and cover adapted to substantially inclose the upper and lower portions of the Crucible, which cup and cover are preferably formed of sheet steel, so that even should the Crucible become cracked and damaged, the gold will be caught and saved in the lower receptacle. The provision of such a protecting device also prevents damage to the Crucible, and enables it to be handled with tongs without danger of breaking.

An important advantage of my invention is that the metallic receptacle and cover may also be employed as a part of a mold in which the Crucible itself may conveniently be formed, so that the same will t accurately and evenly throughout, and thus receive the strengthening effect of a uniformly tight metallic cover. However, I preferably form the metallic receptacle and cover so as to lit the standard types of jewelers Crucible now in general use and therefore the same may be applied to any existing type of Crucible. If desired also, the crucible may be suitably cemented to the metallic cover so as to provide a tight, substantially rigid and compact article.

In the preferred form of my invention, and as herein shown, I arrange the lower receptacle to t the lower portion of an ordinary Crucible, and arrange the top of the Cover so that it may overlap slightly and slide upon the lower receptacle when applied thereto over the top or cover, thus affording automatic means to allow for variations in size of both portions of the Crucible.

Other features of the invention, details of Construction, and novel combinations of parts will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, where is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a jewelers Crucible of ordinary and well known type, comprising upper and lower members; Fig. 2 is a view 1n perspective of a metallic receptacle for the lower member of the Crucible shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 being a view also in perspective of the metallic Cover; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the Crucible and metallic receptacle and cover; and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the Crucible and the metallic receptacle and Cover.

I have illustrated in Fig. 1 the usual type of jewelers Crucible, comprising a lower member or retort 1 and an upper member or cover therefor 2, the member 1 being suitably hollowed out in its top part, as shown at 3 to receive the metal to be melted, and having a pouring spout l at the front end as usual. The upper member 2 has a corresponding recess 5 in its lower portion, which recess extends entirely through the lower surface of the upper Lio member to provide an outlet or port 6 for the fumes of the molten metal, when the same is being poured. The crucible so far described is of the usual standard type now Ain general use, andthe frequent cracking,

breaking or damaging of the lower member 1, resulting in loss of the molten material, presents the difficulty which my invention is designedprimarily to overcome. I have also illustrated a usual type of strengthening means for the lower crucible, viz., a wire 7, which it is customary to position about the lower member 1, so that should the Crucible crack during use, the parts may not entirely fall apart before some of the gold or other` metal contained therein can be poured out and saved. This device, how-V ever, has proven entirely unsatisfactory, as the crucible may crack and break off above vthe wire support and also molten gold or `the like will follow through a crack and thus be wasted. In the practice of my inu vention it is entirely optional whether a wire 7 is used or not, preferably the same may be entirely omitted.

While I may form my metallic receptacle and cover out ofany suitable material, I preferably make the same of sheet steel, stamping it out and then folding it into shape, where four rivets will hold the same accurately, firmly and strongly in position. Both the cruciblefreceptacle and the cover are so formed, and as shown in Fig. 2, are shapedY from thin sheet steel. Referring to Fig. 2, the receptacle for the crucible 1 comprises the metallic cuplike member 8 "having its lower or bottom portion 9 shaped to conform to the Vforward curve in the Crucible, and provided with a coperating pouring spout 10, which registers with a pouring spout 11 of the crucible. The rear or back o f the receptacle 8 is folded forwardly and secured to the sides by rivets 11 and 12, while forward rivets 13 and 14 secure the sides of the receptacle to the bottom portion 9 holding the same rigidly in shape. It is of course to be understood that I am not limited in thus forming the receptacle, as this metallic member may be made in any convenient manner, but the form herein shown has proven to be economical to construct and satisfactory in use, the rivets being easily inserted and set through suitable holes punched in the material when it is stamped out flat. The cover 15 is similarly vformed of sheet steel, and has the rear portion provided with a recess 1G to coperate with the rear poit 6 of the member 2, when the cover is in place andr in use. rIhe top 15 is sulliciently wider than the receptacle 8 so that the sides 17 and 18 of the top may lit over the sides of the receptacle and allow the top 15 to slide downwardly thereon until it is firmly in contact with the top portion 2 of the Crucible. Preferably also, I provide the lower receptacle 8 of slightly greater depth than that of the Crucible 1 so that the top 2 when applied to the crucible will lit within and below the rim of the receptacle 8 as shown at 19, Figs. L1 and 5, to thus retain the top in proper position relatively with the lower member 1. Rivets 2O on either side of the top 15 act to hold the same in its proper form and position.

will thus be seen that I have provided a j ewelers Crucible with means to effectually preventv the loss of any material being treated therein, while it is being melted or poured, and which will elfectually act to strengthen and preserve a jewelers crucible. Furthermore the metallic cover is an eliicient protecting means in the handling of the crucible by a pair of tongs, either when melting material therein or when pouring the same therefrom.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Iatent is:

A metallic cover for a jewelers Crucible, comprising a metallic containing cup for the lower Crucible member and a metallic cover for the upper Crucible member, adapted to lit over and slide upon said cup,

having a port to register with the recess in the upper Crucible member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my naine to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. IVILLIAM H. FORD. I'Vitnesses FRANK I-IANGHETT, JAMES It. HODDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

` Washington, D C. 

